


Perks of the Job

by Kayleegee



Series: The Bodyguard Series [2]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Gen, Speculation, post-season 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-29
Updated: 2015-08-29
Packaged: 2018-04-17 22:54:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4684328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kayleegee/pseuds/Kayleegee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the most part, McKenna's job is great.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Perks of the Job

Working for Felicity has its perks. A lot of perks. Perks galore. There’s excellent coffee, all day, every day. McKenna’s pretty sure that Gerry is scared of her, because while he’s pretty stringent on Felicity’s caffeine intake, he never fails to ask McKenna if she’d like another cup. It could be the gun. 

McKenna has a great office, with a view of Starling City that rivals Felicity’s. Every Monday there are fresh flowers on her desk when she walks in, a by-product of telling Kerry the office manager how much she loved the bouquet they’d welcomed her with her first day. 

She oversees the protection details for both Felicity and Walter, as well as the security for their floor and the floor below them. It’s the logistical part of the job that isn’t the most fun part of her job, but people are depending on her, and that’s a good feeling. 

The biggest perk of McKenna’s job is the most important part of her job: Felicity. Simply put, Felicity is fun to be around with an openness about her that makes her completely approachable. McKenna is very aware that she is in a unique position as a bodyguard. She actually likes her client. 

Felicity is brilliant, and McKenna has to work to school her face when she listens to Felicity speak, whether it’s to a fellow scientist or another CEO or businessman, because Felicity has it together, frequently impressing not only McKenna, but everyone around her with her high intelligence and insight. Her endearing nature of oversharing makes her relatable and easy to talk to. While there had been a few naysayers who had doubted Felicity’s ability to run Palmer Tech. in the beginning, they’ve become incredibly silent on the matter. Quarterly earnings came out last week and that was enough to shut them up. 

So, for the most part the job is great. The hours can stink sometimes, but no more so than when McKenna was a cop. And there are times when Frank, Walter’s head bodyguard, is so boneheaded she wonders how he’s able to dress himself, let alone lead a protection detail, but all in all, she’s happy. 

McKenna’s cell phone dings on her desk and her smile fades a bit as she sees the text from Gerry: Mr. Queen on his way to see you. McKenna sighs as she sets the phone down, and steels herself for this conversation.  


Over the past few months, McKenna has gotten to know this settled down, domesticated, extremely attentive boyfriend to Felicity who is a far cry from the hard partying playboy McKenna had known. Oliver had always had a surprisingly good knack for organizing and logistics. Sure, the details always involved a keg, red solo cups and a pong table, but he was the go-to guy for organizing any sort of party or outing his friends required. 

Nowadays it seems he’s picked up a few things in his ability to foresee and troubleshoot potential logistical issues, particularly those involving Felicity’s protection detail. He’s developed a keen sense about possible threats, and McKenna can only assume that happens when you spend five years literally never knowing if you’ll see the next day’s sunrise. As such, he’s become a major pain in the ass for McKenna.

McKenna busies herself reading the latest updates about Kord Industries and pretends not to notice through her glass walls Oliver approaching her office, his hands stuffed in his jean pockets, deliberately trying to look as placid as possible. McKenna knows it’s a front because she’s learned there are very few things Oliver takes more seriously than Felicity’s safety. 

Oliver knocks on her open door, “Hi, McKenna. Do you have a minute?” He flashes his most charming smile at her, a smile that used to make her go weak in the knees. Now, it just pisses her off. 

“Sure, what’s up?” she asks, gesturing for Oliver to sit. 

“So, I’m sure you’ve seen the news about Kord Industries,” Oliver starts in. 

“The bomb threat?” McKenna asks, innocently. 

Oliver’s eyes narrow, “It wasn’t a bomb threat. It was an actual bomb.”

McKenna sits up in her chair. Oliver shouldn’t have that information. “How do you know…” she begins. Kord Industries hasn’t released that information yet and the only reason McKenna has any information is because she’s friendly with an SCPD detective in Major Crimes who called to give her a head’s up. 

“Ted’s an old family friend,” Oliver says before looking down for a moment. 

McKenna lets out a slow breath. She doesn’t buy that Ted Kord, two hours after being sent a bomb, would call up old family friend Oliver Queen, but right now, there’s a larger issue.

“The bomb was detected in security’s regular sweep of all incoming packages that are addressed directly to Mr. Kord and his offices. The bomb squad was assembled and defused the bomb within 45 minutes. SCPD is working with the FBI,” McKenna informs Oliver. 

Oliver nods his head but McKenna gets the feeling Oliver already knew that information. Ted must be a really good old family friend. “So, do you think…”

McKenna cuts him off, “That Palmer Tech could see some backlash because of our partnership with Kord Industries on the nanotechnology conference?”

“The threats proceeding the bomb threat where pretty inflammatory concerning the nanotechnology,” Oliver says. 

“You’re worried about the conference security?” McKenna says. 

Oliver nods, “Felicity is giving a keynote speech on the medical nanotech that Palmer Tech has begun to develop, and PT has already been the target of a few piece of hate mail and threats. What are you doing to ensure her safety?” His tone is a bit clipped.

McKenna tries very hard not to snap at Oliver, “We are still a month away from the conference, Oliver, we’re starting conversations with the convention center security, I’m planning for extra guards on Felicity’s detail. I will get the blueprints for the convention center tomorrow to look at possible entrances and exits away from the crowd.”

“And what if, and by if I mean most definitely, Felicity walks the convention floor to see exhibits?” Oliver asks. He tightens his hands around the handles on the chair he’s sitting in, as if he’s trying very hard not to cross his arms in a “Ha! Ha! Gotcha!” type moment. Like McKenna hasn’t thought about the fact that the convention floor is going to be like catnip to Felicity. Duh.

“Like I said, I’m planning for extra guard on Felicity’s detail. Grant, the head of security is already vetting potential extras for me,” McKenna counters.

“And you trust Grant?” Oliver counters back. 

McKenna realizes she’s gripping her pen incredibly hard. She drops it to the desk, “Well, he is the head of security for a multi-billion dollar corporation, and let’s not forget, he was deputy head of security when this was still Queen Consolidated.” She knows she is taking a bit of a testy tone, but really, she has this handled. 

Oliver is silent a moment, and he almost looks a little embarrassed. McKenna softens, “Listen, Oliver, I know you’re worried. Everyone is taking this very seriously. This is not something I’m playing around with. I am going to ensure Felicity’s safety to the best of my ability.” 

Oliver presses his lips together a moment before nodding his head and standing, “Thank you, McKenna.” He moves to the door but pauses at the threshold and turns back to her. “I’ve lost a lot of people in my life...my parents, Tommy... and if something happened to...” he stops, as if finishing that sentence is too much to bear, the very thought of losing Felicity too much. 

McKenna feels a pang of guilt as she realizes that Oliver’s overprotectiveness goes way beyond a need to be in control. Underneath, there is a deep fear of loss, always in the back of Oliver’s mind, gnawing at him. McKenna doesn’t understand it, but her annoyance at his questioning immediately dies and she decides another approach is in order.

“Oliver,” she stands up and comes around to the front of her desk, “Do you want to meet tomorrow to look at the blueprints with me? I could use a second set of eyes.”

Oliver lets a small smile grace his face like he knows what McKenna is doing. “I’m having lunch with Felicity so I can swing by after that.” 

“Sounds good,” McKenna smiles. 

Oliver nods, “Thank you,” he says again, and with that, he leaves. McKenna watches him walk towards the bank of elevators, pausing for a moment, like he’s thinking about going back to Felicity’s office, but she sees him visibly shake his head and push the down button and slip into the elevator. 

McKenna sighs and sits back down, spinning her chair around to look out at the Starling City skyline. Gerry breaks her out of her reverie when he knocks on her door and silently sets down a steaming cup of coffee. She murmurs thanks as he leaves and spins back around to look out the window, inhaling the aroma of hazelnut deeply, relaxing her. Perks of the job.


End file.
